Circle of Fear - First Part
Author: Slarya
Pairing: Kyuhyuk
Genre/Rating: AU!Fantasy, Romance/PG-13
Words: 1,870
Summary: In the colds lands of the North stands a small but proud force of men ready to fight and die for their King...
A/N: I suck at summaries so yeah that explains the lousy one for this fic lol this was supposed to be posted on Kyuhyuk's day back on August 13th, the theme for the day was 'Royalty' and this came to mind...I'm not sure about the length but I think it will be devided in 3 parts :)
Circle of Fear
Sounds of horses could be heard approaching the fortress' walls; the soldier at the top of the North tower gave away the signal and instantly more men ran towards the gates to pull them wide open.
Cho Kyuhyun was sitting inside his own quarters, a candle by the table illuminating the papers spread over it, when one of the lower rank soldiers knocked and came in.
“My Lord, the new recruits have arrived.”
The man known as Sir Cho Kyuhyun, second son of Lord Cho Chulsoon, stood to his full height; his hands pulled the heavy wolfskin cloak over the shoulders and he quickly followed the soldier to the court outside.
The wind blow hard outside the room, its sound producing a sad melody as companion for the soldiers guarding the walls. Kyuhyun watched as the horses crossed the gates bringing with them supposedly soldiers...the young lord saw beyond those pretensions.
He had once again a small -very small- group of thieves, rapists and murderers to turn into elite soldiers capable of dying without second thoughts for their King. It was a tough job with little recognition but someone had to do it.
Kyuhyun crossed the yard in a steady pace approaching the group slowly and studying every single one of them thoroughly. Four men stood at his front; the first two were young, no more than seventeen years old, their faces screamed trouble and they seemed pretty full of themselves, Kyuhyun would see them begging for mercy before the end of the night.
The third man had straps of white coloring his hair already showing the advanced age, you could see war marks all over his wrinkled face. Sometimes retired soldiers with no family volunteered to patrol in the North where the nights were cold and lonely and seemed to last forever. At least someone from this laughing group would be of some value to them.
The fourth and last man was at his front now; he seemed to be in his twenties and was a little smaller in height than himself. However he stood proud with his head held high, his gaze penetrating and challenging. Kyuhyun didn't like him...at all.
“You were brought here to fulfill your sentence.” The young Lord started saying in low voice. “I don't care what you've done in your previous life...you died and now you are given a second chance to reborn.”
The two boys glanced at each other smirking and chuckling. Kyuhyun was too fast for them to see it coming; one instant he was giving his welcoming speech, in the next moment he had his sword -SilverOath- in one hand holding it against one of the boys' throat.
“Another sound coming out of your mouths that is not yes my Lord and you'll be left to bleed to death...I assure you it's a very unpleasant sight.” Snow started to fall at the same time that silence filled the yard. “Captain Kim!” An older soldier with a big scar crossing his right eye came forward. “Take this wimps to the higher walls, I think they'll like to spend the night there...make it comfortable.”
“Yes my Lord!”
*** ***
Hyukjae pulled the thin cape closer around his neck. They had been brought to the top of the walls with only the clothes they had been already using...his garment consisted of a pair of brown sheep's wool pants, one white flax shirt that had belonged to one of the man stuck in the dungeons with him and a worn-out used cloak in a shade of dark green, this last one hardly providing any heat.
The snow had started to fall heavily over the last couple of hours. Thanks to the two dummies within his group they were now on guard and for the rest of the night none could leave their place.
If it wasn't for the cold wind and even colder snow he would have been happy to be left alone with his own thoughts, but it wouldn’t be punishment if they enjoyed it, right? Instead he was trembling and freezing and hoping for the sun to rise fast in the horizon to at least provide some heat.
Hyukjae walked forward and backwards to exercise his legs and prevent cramps, he also thought it would be a good idea to move and avoid falling asleep and consequently dying. He remembered long ago the warm nights at the castle, the golden salon filled with music, food and wine and a knight of the kingdom with his white cape and ice sword...it was foolish to still be thinking of those times, they would not return. He knew that perfectly well but it was hard to let go...to forget.
A sudden, strong blast of wind caught the young man by surprise, Hyukjae felt his body shrink at the cold feeling of snow sticking to his clothes and leaving them even wetter than before. He really hoped for the morning sun to come fast or else he would most likely freeze to death.
“You're still awake?” Hyukjae jumped at the sound of a husky voice behind him and turned only to be met eye to eye with his new Lord.
“Sir?”
“I always judge my soldiers by their capacity to suffer without giving in to it. Look...over there.” Hyukjae followed Kyuhyun's gaze and realized his other group members were all asleep, sitting against the walls all curled up in their cloaks. “It's hard to stay awake through cold nights without any food or warm drinks...if your body is not well trained then you'll probably fall asleep and die frozen and you won't even notice it.”
“You...” Hyukjae gulped suddenly feeling extremely ill. “You're going to let them die?” His mighty Lord let out a laugh, the sound was low but pleasant. Hyukjae decided he liked it.
“No, they won't be let off that easily. Their blood belongs to this fortress now, if they must die then it will be defending these walls.” That didn't comfort Hyukjae at all but at least it gave him assurance of living for next couple of weeks – during which they would be trained like pigs ready for slaughter.
The unexpected heat between his hands surprised him and he glanced down only to find them holding a hot mug. “Sir?” He questioned with his eyebrows full high.
“It's just mead but it will keep you warm through the night.” At the still look of surprise on the boy's face he proceeded explaining. “I'm not being particularly nice to you, this is no favor. You deserved it for perseverance, that's all.” And with that the Lord of the Wall stepped down and disappeared into the night leaving once again Hyukjae all alone.
*** ***
For the next couple of weeks they did nothing besides training their sword skills. Hyukjae decided his group was simply stupid, he had thought they would learn their lesson after the first night freezing in the walls but boy was he wrong. The two kids were a mess, they didn't have discipline or honor, no skills with swords or what so ever...they didn't even know the basics to be a good and competent soldier.
The old man was not so bad but he was just so old that his strength was long gone, his vision was just as bad as his hearing...if Hyukjae was left alone with those three to defend the castle he would absolutely die, he would probably take his share with him but in the end death would be his only reward..
Pulling the cotton shirt over his head he trembled; he was inside their quarters trying to clean himself a little since he was starting to smell and honestly he was not used to it. The rest of the guys were poor and they didn't have anything to begin with when they had been brought here but him...he was different. He was used to at least two baths per week in a hot tub with clean water and clean clothes...he missed home, most of all he missed his freedom.
The door opened and with it the cold breeze from the night outside. Kyuhyun stood by the door, his hand still grabbing the knob and his expression a little surprised to find his soldier semi-nude.
“I'm sorry.” There was a faint blush in both men cheeks; Hyukjae pulled the shirt back on and stared at his feet embarrassed. “I just came to tell you, you did great during today's practice.”
“Thank you my Lord.” He said still bowing his head low now daring to look the other directly in the eyes.
Kyuhyun observed the other boy intensively. After almost a month he realized Hyukjae was not like the others. His initial aversion to the man was lost when he saw the effort the other made every single day to correspond to their expectations, to their heavy training and all this without complaining even once.
The mighty young lord admired Hyukjae's inner force to suppress new challenges, his capability was unquestionable. That was in fact what brought him tonight to the boy's chambers, he had a feeling he would need this man tonight and in the next ones.
“There was a disappearance near Lost Village,” He started and Hyukjae looked at him eyes big with surprise. “I sent a scout four nights ago and he still hasn't returned.”
“Isn't that the village that stands near Mount Abyss?” Kyuhyun simply nodded. Mount Abyss was a region further up in the North, it was known for being one of the coldest places in the country...heck Hyukjae was sure there was no place colder than those valleys where the village stayed. “I thought no one lived there anymore.”
“Yes, you and the rest of the kingdom. The village was supposed to be forbidden soil to everyone by direct orders from the King.” He had Hyukjae's full attention now. “It was said that the mountains around the village were inhabited by terrible beasts who came out with the mist to hunt human flesh...we received a crow reporting an incident near the village in the morning and after I sent my man to investigate.”
“What kind of incident? And from whom?” The fireplace in the chambers was slowly burning down, Kyuhyun grabbed another slice of wood and fed the fire with it. His eyes were dark while watching the hot flames dance at his front.
“A merchant and his daughter were coming back home; the letter said there was a terrible snow storm and they lost track of the path...when they realized where they were he immediately sent one of his birds asking for help.” Lord Cho Kyuhyun pulled his wolfskin cloak a little closer to his neck. “I sent one of my best men to bring them here and there is no news from any of them till now.”
Hyukjae felt a chill down his spine and it wasn't from the freezing room. He remembered the stories his nanny always told him when he was little, stories meant to scare and put him to bed quickly but now...now he wasn't so sure they weren't real.
“We'll leave as soon as the sun rises.”
“We?”
“Yes, you're coming with us.”
Pairing: Kyuhyuk
Genre/Rating: AU!Fantasy, Romance/PG-13
Words: 1,870
Summary: In the colds lands of the North stands a small but proud force of men ready to fight and die for their King...
A/N: I suck at summaries so yeah that explains the lousy one for this fic lol this was supposed to be posted on Kyuhyuk's day back on August 13th, the theme for the day was 'Royalty' and this came to mind...I'm not sure about the length but I think it will be devided in 3 parts :)
Circle of Fear
Sounds of horses could be heard approaching the fortress' walls; the soldier at the top of the North tower gave away the signal and instantly more men ran towards the gates to pull them wide open.
Cho Kyuhyun was sitting inside his own quarters, a candle by the table illuminating the papers spread over it, when one of the lower rank soldiers knocked and came in.
“My Lord, the new recruits have arrived.”
The man known as Sir Cho Kyuhyun, second son of Lord Cho Chulsoon, stood to his full height; his hands pulled the heavy wolfskin cloak over the shoulders and he quickly followed the soldier to the court outside.
The wind blow hard outside the room, its sound producing a sad melody as companion for the soldiers guarding the walls. Kyuhyun watched as the horses crossed the gates bringing with them supposedly soldiers...the young lord saw beyond those pretensions.
He had once again a small -very small- group of thieves, rapists and murderers to turn into elite soldiers capable of dying without second thoughts for their King. It was a tough job with little recognition but someone had to do it.
Kyuhyun crossed the yard in a steady pace approaching the group slowly and studying every single one of them thoroughly. Four men stood at his front; the first two were young, no more than seventeen years old, their faces screamed trouble and they seemed pretty full of themselves, Kyuhyun would see them begging for mercy before the end of the night.
The third man had straps of white coloring his hair already showing the advanced age, you could see war marks all over his wrinkled face. Sometimes retired soldiers with no family volunteered to patrol in the North where the nights were cold and lonely and seemed to last forever. At least someone from this laughing group would be of some value to them.
The fourth and last man was at his front now; he seemed to be in his twenties and was a little smaller in height than himself. However he stood proud with his head held high, his gaze penetrating and challenging. Kyuhyun didn't like him...at all.
“You were brought here to fulfill your sentence.” The young Lord started saying in low voice. “I don't care what you've done in your previous life...you died and now you are given a second chance to reborn.”
The two boys glanced at each other smirking and chuckling. Kyuhyun was too fast for them to see it coming; one instant he was giving his welcoming speech, in the next moment he had his sword -SilverOath- in one hand holding it against one of the boys' throat.
“Another sound coming out of your mouths that is not yes my Lord and you'll be left to bleed to death...I assure you it's a very unpleasant sight.” Snow started to fall at the same time that silence filled the yard. “Captain Kim!” An older soldier with a big scar crossing his right eye came forward. “Take this wimps to the higher walls, I think they'll like to spend the night there...make it comfortable.”
“Yes my Lord!”
*** ***
Hyukjae pulled the thin cape closer around his neck. They had been brought to the top of the walls with only the clothes they had been already using...his garment consisted of a pair of brown sheep's wool pants, one white flax shirt that had belonged to one of the man stuck in the dungeons with him and a worn-out used cloak in a shade of dark green, this last one hardly providing any heat.
The snow had started to fall heavily over the last couple of hours. Thanks to the two dummies within his group they were now on guard and for the rest of the night none could leave their place.
If it wasn't for the cold wind and even colder snow he would have been happy to be left alone with his own thoughts, but it wouldn’t be punishment if they enjoyed it, right? Instead he was trembling and freezing and hoping for the sun to rise fast in the horizon to at least provide some heat.
Hyukjae walked forward and backwards to exercise his legs and prevent cramps, he also thought it would be a good idea to move and avoid falling asleep and consequently dying. He remembered long ago the warm nights at the castle, the golden salon filled with music, food and wine and a knight of the kingdom with his white cape and ice sword...it was foolish to still be thinking of those times, they would not return. He knew that perfectly well but it was hard to let go...to forget.
A sudden, strong blast of wind caught the young man by surprise, Hyukjae felt his body shrink at the cold feeling of snow sticking to his clothes and leaving them even wetter than before. He really hoped for the morning sun to come fast or else he would most likely freeze to death.
“You're still awake?” Hyukjae jumped at the sound of a husky voice behind him and turned only to be met eye to eye with his new Lord.
“Sir?”
“I always judge my soldiers by their capacity to suffer without giving in to it. Look...over there.” Hyukjae followed Kyuhyun's gaze and realized his other group members were all asleep, sitting against the walls all curled up in their cloaks. “It's hard to stay awake through cold nights without any food or warm drinks...if your body is not well trained then you'll probably fall asleep and die frozen and you won't even notice it.”
“You...” Hyukjae gulped suddenly feeling extremely ill. “You're going to let them die?” His mighty Lord let out a laugh, the sound was low but pleasant. Hyukjae decided he liked it.
“No, they won't be let off that easily. Their blood belongs to this fortress now, if they must die then it will be defending these walls.” That didn't comfort Hyukjae at all but at least it gave him assurance of living for next couple of weeks – during which they would be trained like pigs ready for slaughter.
The unexpected heat between his hands surprised him and he glanced down only to find them holding a hot mug. “Sir?” He questioned with his eyebrows full high.
“It's just mead but it will keep you warm through the night.” At the still look of surprise on the boy's face he proceeded explaining. “I'm not being particularly nice to you, this is no favor. You deserved it for perseverance, that's all.” And with that the Lord of the Wall stepped down and disappeared into the night leaving once again Hyukjae all alone.
*** ***
For the next couple of weeks they did nothing besides training their sword skills. Hyukjae decided his group was simply stupid, he had thought they would learn their lesson after the first night freezing in the walls but boy was he wrong. The two kids were a mess, they didn't have discipline or honor, no skills with swords or what so ever...they didn't even know the basics to be a good and competent soldier.
The old man was not so bad but he was just so old that his strength was long gone, his vision was just as bad as his hearing...if Hyukjae was left alone with those three to defend the castle he would absolutely die, he would probably take his share with him but in the end death would be his only reward..
Pulling the cotton shirt over his head he trembled; he was inside their quarters trying to clean himself a little since he was starting to smell and honestly he was not used to it. The rest of the guys were poor and they didn't have anything to begin with when they had been brought here but him...he was different. He was used to at least two baths per week in a hot tub with clean water and clean clothes...he missed home, most of all he missed his freedom.
The door opened and with it the cold breeze from the night outside. Kyuhyun stood by the door, his hand still grabbing the knob and his expression a little surprised to find his soldier semi-nude.
“I'm sorry.” There was a faint blush in both men cheeks; Hyukjae pulled the shirt back on and stared at his feet embarrassed. “I just came to tell you, you did great during today's practice.”
“Thank you my Lord.” He said still bowing his head low now daring to look the other directly in the eyes.
Kyuhyun observed the other boy intensively. After almost a month he realized Hyukjae was not like the others. His initial aversion to the man was lost when he saw the effort the other made every single day to correspond to their expectations, to their heavy training and all this without complaining even once.
The mighty young lord admired Hyukjae's inner force to suppress new challenges, his capability was unquestionable. That was in fact what brought him tonight to the boy's chambers, he had a feeling he would need this man tonight and in the next ones.
“There was a disappearance near Lost Village,” He started and Hyukjae looked at him eyes big with surprise. “I sent a scout four nights ago and he still hasn't returned.”
“Isn't that the village that stands near Mount Abyss?” Kyuhyun simply nodded. Mount Abyss was a region further up in the North, it was known for being one of the coldest places in the country...heck Hyukjae was sure there was no place colder than those valleys where the village stayed. “I thought no one lived there anymore.”
“Yes, you and the rest of the kingdom. The village was supposed to be forbidden soil to everyone by direct orders from the King.” He had Hyukjae's full attention now. “It was said that the mountains around the village were inhabited by terrible beasts who came out with the mist to hunt human flesh...we received a crow reporting an incident near the village in the morning and after I sent my man to investigate.”
“What kind of incident? And from whom?” The fireplace in the chambers was slowly burning down, Kyuhyun grabbed another slice of wood and fed the fire with it. His eyes were dark while watching the hot flames dance at his front.
“A merchant and his daughter were coming back home; the letter said there was a terrible snow storm and they lost track of the path...when they realized where they were he immediately sent one of his birds asking for help.” Lord Cho Kyuhyun pulled his wolfskin cloak a little closer to his neck. “I sent one of my best men to bring them here and there is no news from any of them till now.”
Hyukjae felt a chill down his spine and it wasn't from the freezing room. He remembered the stories his nanny always told him when he was little, stories meant to scare and put him to bed quickly but now...now he wasn't so sure they weren't real.
“We'll leave as soon as the sun rises.”
“We?”
“Yes, you're coming with us.”